Rabbit Blanket to Pancake Bay, 121km: Here comes the sun

To get to Pancake Bay we simply had to leave Rabbit Blanket Campground, follow Route 17, and enter Pancake Bay Campground. This was probably the simplest route of the tour :)

I left camp last with Louise, Erik, and Alain as we had been on breakfast duty. Today I only had to cycle 121km so it did not bother me that I would be leaving camp later than usual. The morning began with misty rain but that soon ended.

Erik, Louise, and I decided to see the Agawa Rock Pictographs which were rock paintings made by the Ojibway along the rocky cliffs of Lake Superior. It was a 3km side tour plus an 800m hike to get to the rock cliffs. To see the pictographs we needed to take our shoes off in order to give us better grip on the rock. There was also a rope which we held onto to ensure we would not fall into the lake, which was a risk based on the warning signs. The pictographs were faded; likely due to erosion as a result of waves; however, we could still make out the images. It was interesting to see and an enjoyable side trip. 

 

We cycled past the Montreal River, which was a hilly area. At approximately kilometer 73 we cycled to the top of the Montreal River hill, after which there was an incredible 3km downhill. According to Bud’s notes, when Terry Fox climbed this hill the front of his t-shirt read “Montreal River Here I Come” and the back read “I’ve Got You Beat.” I definitely understood why he was wearing that t-shirt because it was quite the hill and so fun to cycle down :D

After we reached the town of Montreal River, Louise noticed the clouds were breaking up, blue sky was appearing. That got the two of us super excited. Soon enough the sun was breaking through, engulfing us in its warmth. Louise and I were so thrilled that we were cycling faster and faster, wanting to reach camp to celebrate the sunshine with the rest of our group.

Once we reached Pancake Bay Campground and met up with fellow riders, the change in everyone’s attitude was incredible. Everyone had a massive smile on their face, taking in the sun rays. It had been a tough past few days and the sun was a much needed gift to bring our spirits up and make us remember the enjoyment of the tour.